MenuInventory of the J. Walter Thompson Company. W. Lee Preschel Papers, 1964-2001 and undated
Abstract
The J. Walter Thompson Company (JWT), founded in 1864, is one of the largest and oldest enduring advertising agencies in the United States. W. Lee Preschel founded JWT Venezuela in 1964 and served as President of JWT Latin America from 1980-1987. Preschel also acted as Interim Director-Manager of JWT Italy in 1968, served on the JWT Board of Directors beginning in 1980, and became the chairman of the Latin America-Asia Pacific region in 1987. He was named Advertising Personality of the Year in 1987 by the Venezuelan Federation of Advertising Agencies.
The W. Lee Preschel Papers span the years 1964-2001 and document Preschel's career as president of the J. Walter Thompson Company's Latin American operations. The collection includes correspondence, memoranda, speeches, presentations, reports, newsletters, clippings, photographs, conference programs and agendas, awards, publications, scrapbooks, memorabilia, and audiovisual materials. Major correspondents include Denis Lanigan and Don Johnston, among others within the company. Clients mentioned include Ford, Kellogg's, Kodak, Draft, Lever, Pond's, Warner-Lambert, R.J. Reynolds/Nabisco, Burger King, and Banco Mercantil y Corpoven. The collection contains materials in English and Spanish, with the majority of the materials in Spanish.
Descriptive Summary
- Repository
- David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University
- Creator
- J. Walter Thompson Company.
- Title
- J. Walter Thompson Company. W. Lee Preschel Papers, 1964-2001 and undated
- Language of Material
- English, Spanish
- Extent
- 6.6 Linear Feet, About 4950 Items
- Location
- For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Collection Overview
The W. Lee Preschel Papers span the years 1964-2001 and document Preschel's career as president of the J. Walter Thompson Company's Latin American operations. The collection includes correspondence, memoranda, speeches, presentations, reports, clippings, photographs, conference programs and agendas, awards, publications, scrapbooks, memorabilia, and audiovisual materials. Major correspondents include Denis Lanigan and Don Johnston, among others within the company. Clients mentioned include Ford, Kellogg's, Kodak, Draft, Lever, Pond's, Warner-Lambert, R.J. Reynolds/ Nabisco, Burger King, and Banco Mercantil y Corpoven. The collection contains materials in English and Spanish, with the majority of the materials in Spanish.
The collection is organized into three series: Personal Files, Administrative Files, and Audiovisual Materials. The Personal Files Series documents the personal and professional achievements of Preschel, and provide secondary biographical information through a number of industry publications. The series also includes two scrapbooks, compiled by Preschel, documenting his dismissal from and subsequent return to JWT in 1987. The Administrative Files Series documents various aspects of Preschel's career with JWT and includes correspondence, memoranda, speeches, presentations, reports, clippings, photographs, conference programs and agendas, company newsletters and other publications, and memorabilia. The Audiovisual Materials Series includes audiocassettes and VHS videocassettes. Audiocassettes contain recordings of presentations at two conferences attended by Preschel. Large-format materials have been removed from their original series locations and relocated to Oversize Materials. Relocated items have been replaced in the Detailed Description of the Collection by dummy folders enclosed in brackets.
Administrative Information
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Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research.
However, original audiovisual materials are closed to researchers. Use copies are available in the collection.
In addition, patrons must sign the Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibility and Privacy Rights form before using this collection.
Also, all or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. Consequently, there may be a 24-hour delay in obtaining these materials.
Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.
Use Restrictions
The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
Contents of the Collection
Browse List of Series
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Expand AllMaterials document the personal and professional achievements of Preschel, and provide secondary biographical information through a number of industry publications. The series also includes two scrapbooks, compiled by Preschel, documenting his dismissal from and subsequent return to JWT in 1987.
Arranged into three subseries: General Files, Publications, and Scrapbooks.
Contains various biographical information about Preschel, focusing predominantly on his achievements. Achievements include Preschel's condecoración (decoration) by Venezuelan president Carlos Andreas Perez in 1977, as well as advertising industry awards. Arranged alphabetically.
[Contains photographs of awards and award ceremonies.]
Includes publications, chiefly Spanish-language industry magazines, that contain articles about Lee Preschel. Arranged chronologically.
[Contents: 1982 Sept. 11 Pandora: Revista de El Nacional, Un Buho Dorado de la Bienvenida en una Publicidad: Las oficinas de Walter Thompson; 1983 Aug. Producto, No hipoteca el futuro (column by Lee Preschel); 1983 Sept. P&M: Publicidad y Mercadeo, Drawing of Lee Preschel on cover, with caption Lee Preschel en nuestra portada simboliza la seriedad y la profundidad del Congreso XXV Aniversario FEVAP; 1984 Mar. 20 Numero: Revista de Economia y Negocias, Comó obtener lo peor de una agencia.]
[Contents: 1985 Jan. P&M: Publicidad y Mercadeo, El Hombre JWT (interview); 1985 Mar. 18 Bohemia, Lee Preschel: Productividad es Clave para la Recuperación de la Economía (interview); 1985 June 2 Numero: Revista de Economia y Negocias, Lee Preschel: cómo anunciar en la crisis (cover story); 1986 Aug. P&M: Publicidad y Mercadeo, Cabeza, Corazón, y Coraje (interview); 1987 IAA (International Advertising Association, Capitulo de Venezuela) El hombre universo (interview): includes congratulatory notices from Quaker, Ford, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer to Lee Preschel on being named Hombre del Año de la Publicidad 1987.]
[Contents: 1987 May Publicidad y Mercadeo Especial, Preschel: dinamismo professional and se van los grandes. Special cover story and articles bound around regular issue; 1987 June Producto: Publicidad/Mercadeo/Comunicacion, El despido de Lee Preschel (interview); 1987? June Data Advertising: Revista Especializada en Publicidad y Mercadeo, Lee Preschel: I Will Come Back (interview); 1987 June 15 Bohemia, El Lee Iacocca Venezolano (interview accompanied by draft version of interview).]
[Contents: 1987 Aug. P&M: Publicidad y Mercadeo, El retorno de Preschel; 1987 Aug. 15 Autentico, Lee Preschel retorna a su imperio; 1987 Nov. Hombre de Mundo, W. Lee Preschel; 1987 Nov. 10 Elite, La Publicidad es una Necesidad.]
[Contents: 1987 Dec. 6 Numero: Revista de Economia y Negocias, El Hombre de la Publicidad: Por Primera vez a una misma persona de es otorgado este titulo por la FEVAP y la IAA durante el mismo año (interview); 1988 Mar. Gerente, ¿Que Pasa en la casa de Thompson? (interview); 1988 Jan. Data Advertising: Revista Especializada en Publicidad y Mercadeo, Los Agencias de Publicidad...Mirando Hacia el futuro; 1989 Revista de Publicidad, Lee Preschel, Gerente Regional J. W. Thompson: Regreso con Gloria (interview, clipping only); 1989 Feb. 6 Adweek, JWT's Lee Preschel Walks Tall as Reanointed 'Señor Advertising' (one full copy, one clipping).]
[Contents: 1990 Oct. 22 Adweek, JWT's Lee Preschel: Severing Ties to Advertising's Illustrious Past.]
[Contents: 1990 Nov. Producto, Lee hace mutis; 1991 Aug. Producto (Edición Octavo Aniversario), Mr. Walter Thompson.]
[Contents: 1992 Oct. Producto, Buena gente (interview); 1992 Oct. Producto Light, 1995 Analisis F&E, Es major encender las velas que maldecir la obscuridad (feature article); 1995 Aug., miscellaneous newspaper articles; 1996 June 10, Tribuna de actualidad hispano-americana, W. Lee Preschel: los secretos del Sr. Publicidad (interview).]
[Contents: 1997 Apr. Producto, El arte de retirarse; 1997 Apr. 1 P&M: Publicidad y Mercadeo, Conversación con Lee Preschel: 'No hay ideas poderosas en la publicidad venezolana'; 1998 Jan. 19 Bohemia, Lee Preschel: Mister Publicidad.]
[Contents: 2001 Oct. P&M: Publicidad y Mercadeo, several articles.]
[Contents: Etiqueta, Emotivo cocktail de despedida en honor a Lee Preschel (pictures and captions).]
Scrapbooks compiled by Preschel document his 1987 dismissal from J. Walter Thompson and his subsequent return to the company in the same year. Items, chiefly photocopies, include correspondence between Preschel and supervisor Don Johnston; newspaper clippings about the dismissal and other JWT actions; letters of support from colleagues and clients; and photographs.
Documents various aspects of Preschel's career with JWT and includes correspondence, memoranda, speeches, presentations, reports, clippings, photographs, conference programs and agendas, company newsletters and other publications, and memorabilia. Arranged into six subseries: Conference Files, Correspondence, Photographs, Publications, Writings and Speeches, and Other Materials.
Materials document Preschel's involvement in various JWT conferences, seminars, and workshops and chiefly include conference programs and agendas. Several photographs of events are available in the Photographs Subseries. Arranged alphabetically by conference title.
[An audio recording from the 1982 meeting is available in the Audiovisual Materials Series (OR1).]
[Includes a board game entitled Swamps and Alligators: The Big Game Hunt for Ad Agency Managers of All Ages.]
Correspondence with Denis Lanigan, Don Johnston, and others. One folder of memoranda pertains to the establishment of two JWT awards: the J. Walter Thompson Company Achivement Awards Program (TAAP) and the Premio Rodolfo Otero. Arranged alphabetically by category and chronologically therein.
Includes several dry-mounted photograph portraits of various advertising executives, including JWT employees. Other photographs document various conferences attended by Preschel, as well as other aspects of JWT. Further documentation of the conferences is available in the Conference Files Subseries.
Arranged alphabetically.
[Includes dry-mounted photograph portraits of Grace Atkinson, Mario Azócar, Patricio Bonta, Hiran Castello Branco, J. J. Calero, Roberto Ceruzzi, Edwin Chan, Juan Chocano, Lilamani Dias, Alan Fairnington, John Florida, Marcos Golfari, Tim Hamilton-Russell, John Holmes, Ricardo Inzunza, Mike Khanna, Roberto Leal, Norm MacMaster, Enrique Marti, Rodolfo Martin, Rafael Miolan, Fernando Otero, Greg Reilly, Michael C. Sampietro, Miguel Garcia Taboada, and Charuvarn Vanasin. Arranged alphabetically by surname.]
[A set of labels accompanies the photographs, but were not matched to individual portraits. Three employees were unidentified directly, but may be Hai-Hyung Cho, Rene De la Cruz, and Walter Guelfi.]
[Photographs are available for 1966-1967, 1973, 1980-1982, and 1989.]
[Includes candid as well as formal photographs, chiefly depicting various colleagues.]
Includes newsletters, both JWT-wide and for various JWT subdivisions in Latin America and Asia, as well as a variety of other publications by JWT and other organizations and people. Arranged alphabetically.
[Includes company-wide JWT newsletters as well as newsletters of various JWT subdivisions, including Latin America, Brazil, Chile, Hindustan, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela. Generally includes between one and three issues of each title.]
[Titles include: Qué Pasa en JWT América Latina (1982), Tudo Bem na JWT Brasil (1982 and 1984), Jotadoblevete (Chile; 1990), HTA Today (Hindustan; 1991), Temas Thompson (Mexico; 1982), Qué Hay de Nuevo en JWT México (1983 and 1985), Qué Pasa en JWT Perú (1983-1984), Que Pasa en JWT Venezuela (1983), and Entre nosotros: bolétin informativo interno (internal bulletin, JWT Venezuela, 1970).]
[Includes The Many Worlds of Sam Meek: A Legacy of Leadership (1981); It Was a Very Good Year (1982); Una técnica para producir ideas (booklet by James Webb Young, originally published in 1940; Edición Especial 1983 for the 40th anniversary of JWT Mexico); J. Walter Thompson Company (promotional material about JWT Worldwide, 1984); Nuestros Comienzos (JWT Venezuela office brochure, including clients, founder, and symbol, circa 1984); JWT Venezuela 25 (25th anniversary publication, 1989); J. Walter Thompson Kellogg Company Worldwide Creative Planning Guidelines and related memo, 1989; Januarius (informal newsletter with article A Look at Lee, 1991); and J. Walter Thompson: 45 Años in Chile (1989).]
Includes reports, presentations, and speeches.
Arranged chronologically into two categories: work by Preschel, and work by others.
[Except where noted, these documents contain no author information.]
Other materials that chiefly document Preschel's professional life. Includes ephemera, pamphlets, t-shirts, puzzles, and clippings. Arranged into two categories: miscellaneous papers and memorabilia, and chronologically therein.
[Contains t-shirt from Latin American Creative Forum (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1982) and a matchbook inscribed Lee Preschel. (1 item, a jigsaw puzzle from JWT Spain, 1978, removed to Oversize Materials, box 11.)]
Audiocassettes and VHS videocassettes, featuring or collected by Preschel. Audiocassettes contain recordings of presentations at two conferences attended by Preschel; other documentation of these conferences is located in the Conference Files Subseries and Photographs Subseries of the Administrative Files Series.
Restrictions on access: Original videocassettes are closed to researchers. Use copies are available in the collection.
Oversize Materials
Historical Note
| Date | Event(s) |
|---|---|
| 1933 Oct. 7 | Born Wolf Lee Preschel, Kovno, Lithuania |
| 1956 | Received Bachelor of Arts degree in political science, Cornell University |
| 1957 June | Joined J. Walter Thompson Company (JWT) |
| 1964 | Founded JWT Venezuela |
| 1968 | Interim Director-Manager, JWT Italy |
| 1969 | Vice President, JWT International |
| 1977 | Nationalized as Venezuelan citizen |
| 1980 | Executive Vice President, JWT Latin America; member, JWT Board of Directors |
| 1980-1987 | President, JWT Latin America |
| 1986 | President, JWT Central Pacific |
| 1987 | Named Advertising Personality of the Year by Venezuelan Federation of Advertising Agencies (FEVAP) |
| 1987 May | Dismissed from JWT |
| 1987 | Returned to JWT as chairman of Latin America-Asia Pacific region |
| 1990 Oct. | Retired from JWT |
| 2003 Jan. | Published Rebel with a Cause: The Successful Management of Global Advertising Agencies |
Subject Headings
- Preschel, Lee.
- Johnston, Don, 1927-
- Lanigan, Denis, 1926-
- J. Walter Thompson Company.
- J. Walter Thompson Company. Caracas Office.
- Burger King Corporation.
- Chesebrough-Pond's.
- Eastman Kodak Company.
- Ford Motor Company.
- Kellogg Company.
- Lever Brothers and Unilever, ltd.
- R.J. Reynolds Industries.
- Warner-Lambert Company.
- Advertising--Awards.
- Advertising--History--20th century.
- Advertising--Venezuela.
- Advertising agencies.
- Advertising agencies--Latin America.
- Advertising agencies--Management.
- Advertising agencies--Venezuela.
- Advertising executives.
- Advertising executives--History--20th century.
- Audiocassettes.
- Clippings.
- Memorabilia.
- Memoranda.
- Newsletters.
- Photographs.
- Scrapbooks.
- Speeches.
- Videocassettes.
- John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History.
Related Material
Materials related to this collection may be found in other Hartman Center collections that comprise the J. Walter Thompson Company Archives, including the Newsletter Collection, the Account Files Collection, the Review Board Records, the Shirley Woodell Papers, the Harry Clark Papers, the Don Johnston Papers, the Denis Lanigan Papers, and the Thomas Sutton Papers.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], J. Walter Thompson Company. W. Lee Preschel Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.
Provenance
The J. Walter Thompson Company. W. Lee Preschel Papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library as a gift in 1993.
Processing Information
Processed by Angela McClendon, Rita Johnston, January 2008
Encoded by Angela McClendon, Rita Johnston
Completed January 2008
Accession 1993-0006 is described in this finding aid.
Descriptive sources and standards used to create this inventory: DACS, EAD, NCEAD guidelines, and our local Style Guide.